Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci self portrait (http://www.leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com/ ())

"He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast."-Leonardo da Vinci. At the time of Da Vinci's birth his parents were unmarried. His mother was a peasant and his father was a Florentine landlord and notary. He had many important works of art and scientific achievements; such as the Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rocks, and The Last Supper. Some of his scientific achievements were his ideas on a gun that repeated, a helicopter, a life preserver, webbed gloves to explore the deep blue sea, and a dive hood. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most inspirational male heroes for many reasons; first he stayed perseverant in his studies of the human anatomy even when it was forbidden, second he contributed much to the advancement of mechanics and engineering and third he was an artist who passed down his knowledge to the future generations through his artistic technique and creativity.

(http://luigicarlopainting.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/leonardo-da-vinci-art-and-science-understanding-the-nature-of-light/ ())

Leonardo da Vinci was a man who would not give up on something he loved; even though it was against the law to dissect human bodies he would find bodies, dissect them in secret and document all his findings. "The taboo against desecrating the bodies of the dead goes back many centuries; it was prohibited by both ancient Greek and Roman religions."(University of Pennsylvania | Department of English.) This quote shows just how determined Leonardo was to learn, and how strong his quest for knowledge was. Leonardo da Vinci's was determined to keep doing autopsies and dissections to learn more about the mystery of the human body. He was a man who was stubbornly set in his ways and would not let something as small as a taboo get in his way of studying and learning about the human body. Da Vinci was a man dedicated to his work "he concentrated almost exclusively on his scientific studies, particularly human anatomy. Leonardo performed over thirty dissections, documenting in detail the circulatory system and internal structure of the human body." (Gale, 2006) Leonardo da Vinci because of his bravery did not give up on his studies of the human body and he was able to make incredible advances in medical research for his time. Da Vinci's continuance of his studies changed the course of science forever.

(http://www.rotaryaction.com/history.html ())

Leonardo da Vinci contributed so much to society that he is considered a true hero to modern society. Da Vinci's interest in mechanics and engineering eventually led him to create many astounding inventions: "During the early years of his career, da Vinci was chiefly interested in mechanics and engineering. His desire to understand not only how something worked but also why in worked, led him to a number of discoveries. Included among his projects were plans for a helicopter, a submarine, and an armored tank."(Gale 2006). Leonardo da Vinci was an important man in the development of modern mechanics. Modern mechanics progressed greatly because of Leonardo; his ideas were vastly different and innovative that most people thought his ideas were either magic or just crazy. Da Vinci was a genius who could think of things that no other men and women could have ever guessed: "As an engineer, Leonardo provided the Duke with designs for artillery, folding bridges, and armored vehicles, and plans for diverting rivers. He enlivened parties and pageants with such marvels as a mechanical planetarium. He could also provide musical entertainment, singing and playing musical instruments, some of which were of his own construction. "He kept a workshop where he tinkered with such inventions as a diving suit and a flying machine with wings that flapped like a bird's."(Schlager, N.; Lauer, J. Vol. 3) Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant scientist, musician, and artist; his exceptional mind worked to better his knowledge, but also contributed many thoughts and ideas. Da Vinci's work sparked a fire of curiosity in so many young people of the age, and his influence has spread across time and is still influencing people to this day.

(http://patrickgarvin.com/blog/?p=1315 (Leonardo da Vinci))

Leonardo da Vinci was an exceptional artist who through his work inspired many people to create and to learn from his art. Da Vinci was a man who liked to display the realism in every aspect of life: "In a culture previously dominated by highly figurative and downright strange religious paintings, Leonardo's desire to paint things realistically was bold and fresh."(Museum of Science, Boston) Leonardo was a man who was driven to find the truth in every aspect of life; in his art he would use his background in science to make his paintings speak the truth of people's natural appearance. Da Vinci was a man who inspired men and woman who were interested in painting and even those whose career was artistry. Da Vinci was a man who wanted his art to be appreciated not looked at with contempt because the man in his painting was too muscular, or disproportional: "His study of nature and anatomy emerged in his stunningly realistic paintings, and his dissections of the human body paved the way for remarkably accurate figures. He was the first artist to study the physical proportions of men, women and children and to use these studies to determine the "ideal" human figure."(Museum of Science, Boston) Da Vinci's paintings showed the human figure for how it was ideally supposed to be, and his style of realism was an inspiration that may have boosted many young people's careers by studying his style. His studies of the human body, of nature and dissections led him to be able to create pictures of near perfect realism and inspiration. Da Vinci's style of artistry was complemented nicely by his study of the human body; which made his art all the more captivating, breath taking and inspirational. He would make the people of his paintings average people, not the image of an overly perfect human being.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_self.jpg ())

Leonardo da Vinci is a man who everyone should consider a hero. The reason being that; he was an inspiration to young people of his age, was a perseverant man who would not let anything get in his way no matter how difficult or different the idea and lastly he was a man who passed his knowledge down to future generations so they could continue to make paintings to be as realistic as possible. Leonardo da Vinci is an inspiration to me because of his great determination and genius abilities. I am inspired to think outside of what everyone thinks, to think outside the mainstream like Leonardo da Vinci. He inspires me to share my ideas and to show my creativity to the world. Others should be inspired by da Vinci because he is a great example of someone who would never give up.